by Jennie Ruby
Imply and infer are often confused because they have closely related meanings, they both start with i, and they both have 5 letters. They both have to do with giving or receiving vague, subtle, or merely hinted-at information.
Let's see if we can, as Wikipedia so often says, disambiguate them. To imply is to give or hint at a meaning. To infer is to receive a meaning.
To imply is to state–but vaguely. To infer is to pick up on the implied meaning. Here are some example sentences:
- The sign implies that there is fresh bread on sale. However, I infer from the fact that it is on sale that the bread may not be so fresh after all.
- From the fact that you are selling all of your furniture, I infer that you are moving out of town. (I am getting the message.)
- By handing me my hat, are you implying that you want me to go? (You are sending a message.)
About the Author: Jennie Ruby is a veteran IconLogic trainer and author with titles such as "Essentials of Access 2000" and "Editing with MS Word 2003 and Adobe Acrobat 7" to her credit. Jennie specializes in electronic editing. At the American Psychological Association, she was manager of electronic publishing and manager of technical editing and journal production. Jennie has an M.A. from George Washington University and is a Certified Technical Trainer (Chauncey Group). She is a publishing professional with 20 years of experience in writing, editing and desktop publishing.
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